Fillers
by BonJeanne
Summary: This might turn into a collection of short one-shots that help to fill in the gaps of some episodes.
1. Chapter 1

I posted this on tumblr a few days ago, but I wanted tp upload it here as well. I'm thinking about creating a series of episode fillers, just short pieces like this that fill in some of the blanks in the episodes. Thoughts? Let me know in the reviews.

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"Her prognosis is excellent."

Henry can't process anything after that. His arm is already around Elizabeth, whatever semblance of composure he had crumbling quickly. He no longer cares that they are fighting or in a public space. All that matters is the Stevie is safe.

Elizabeth's arms wrap around him, and for the first time since he got the call, he feels almost okay. Tears of relief spill into her blouse. He squeezes her, the mother of his beloved daughter, tighter and sends a silent thank you to heaven.

"She's waking up now," a voice says. "Whenever you're ready to see her, she's in the first door down on the right."

"Thank you," he hears Elizabeth respond.

"Are you ready to go in?" she asks. Henry keeps his head buried in her neck, but he takes a deep breath and makes a genuine effort to regulate his tears.

"No, but I also can't wait." They walk hand in hand down the hall, and finally, after hours of uncertainty, they lay eyes on their precious babygirl. Elizabeth is right: Stevie is gorgeous.

While his wife goes to the cabinet to find extra pillows, Henry sits on the edge of the bed with an arm around their daughter. They're fussing over her, much like they did over a decade ago when she had to get her tonsils removed after a bad case of strep throat.

It's a happy reunion until Stevie asks, "How is June?"

"I'm so sorry Stevie... she didn't make it."

"Oh." Her voice is quiet and breaking. Henry glaces at Elizabeth, and he sees a tortured expression on her face that unsoundly matches his own.

For a moment, it's quiet, and it seems like Stevie succeeds in keeping her tears in. It lasts all of five seconds, when the dam suddenly and violent breaks. Henry instinctively pulls her into a hug and wishes he could take all of her pain, physical and emotional, from her. Elizabeth does the same, but it still takes Stevie a good half hour to cry herself out.

When she's finished, her eyes are glazed over and red rimmed. She's curled up on her side, awkwardly crammed between her parents, but none of them care. Henry whispers softly to her, words of comfort and love.

Elizabeth's phone buzzes, and she answers it in a soft voice. "Hello? Okay. Thanks, Jay." She hangs up.

"You're leaving?" Stevie tried to sound neutral, but both parents could detect the panic that was underneath.

"Not if you don't want me to."

"You should go. It's important." It sounds as if she's trying to convince her mother as much as herself.

"Nothing is more important that you," and Henry knows that Elizabeth's words are true. From the day that she was born, Stevie was came above and before all else in their lives, including each other.

Stevie looks guilty and then bashful before she asks, "Can you stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, baby. I'll be right here."

They readjust so that Stevie is reclining comfortably between the two of them, supported by numerous pillows. With a tenderness only a mother could possess, Elizabeth strokes her hair in a soothing pattern that lulls Stevie to sleep within minutes. Years of practiced precision allows them to transfer her weight from her mother's shoulder to her father's without waking her.

"I have to go back in. I'll be back as soon as I can," Elizabeth promises and collects her things to head out the door.

"Babe, about today—" Henry is cut off by her lips covering his.

"Later. We'll figure things out. Stevie is okay, and that's what matters."

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Don't forget to let me know what you think in the reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

_"What I believe in my bones is that there has to be somewhere—a place where part of us goes—and I will find you and the kids there because the universe isn't big enough to keep that from happening."_

* * *

Henry was by Elizabeth's side before she passed.  
He told her favorite stories when she forgot them.  
He held her when she was hurting.  
He took her to her garden when she lost the strength.  
He loved her when she was dying.

Henry sat by Elizabeth's side as she passed.  
He watched as her heart monitor flat-lined.  
He listened as her chest fell, a soft sigh leaving her body.  
He held her hand as it went limp.  
Henry didn't leave Elizabeth's side after she passed.  
He closed her eyes for the last time.  
He kissed her lips for the last time.

The funeral was two weeks later. He spent the next three-hundred and fifty-five days searching for peace, but it never seemed to come.

On the three-hundred and fifth-sixth day, it was his turn.  
Stevie watched as his heart monitor flat-lined.  
Allison listened as his chest fell, a soft sigh leaving his body.  
Jason held his hand as it went limp.

The funeral was two weeks later. He was laid to rest next to his beloved wife.

Henry found himself by Elizabeth's side, even in death.  
He felt a warm, familiar, and loving presence.

"Elizabeth? Is that you?"

"Henry! I've been waiting for you. Come, meet my parents."

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Sorry, this is a hot mess I wrote it in like 15 minutes because that episode left me really not okay and I just needed to get this out there. I really don't subscribe to any sort of after-line belief system so I tried to keep it really open ended but also fit into what Henry said that he believes. Anyway, feel free to leave a review!


	3. Chapter 3

Hey y'all. Sorry I've been on hiatus for like ever. I'm going to try to do more writing! I've got a bunch of things approximately 80% done, so maybe you'll see more of me? In the mean time, here's a tiny thing I wrote. It's a continuation of the ending of last episode.

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2005

Elizabeth tried to keep her tears in check as she knocked on the door to her boss's office with trembling hands.

"Come in," Conrad called. She took a shaky breath and entered. "Bess," he smiled warmly when he saw her. "Have you made up your mind about the station chief job?"

"Yes. I have," she said as she sat in the chair opposite him. She looked down at the envelope that contained her resignation letter. The edges had been crumpled from her sweaty grip, and inside the paper was spotted with tear drops.

"What's wrong? Are you pregnant again? The job will still be there after maternity leave, I can assure you of that."

Elizabeth burst into hysterics, laughing and crying at the same time. A fourth child had never been in the picture, and pregnancy was so far off her radar, especially considering how distant she and Henry had been lately.

"Bess?" Conrad prompted after she had managed to calm down a bit.

"It's not that, sir." She set the envelope on the desk. "It's that I'm resigning."

He looked surprised at first, but some sort of realization seemed to settle over him. "Are you sure this is what you want? Not just what Henry thinks that you want?"

"It's what I need to do," she replied with more conviction than she felt.

"I understand," he said with a warm but wistful smile.

"It's been a pleasure, sir," Elizabeth choked out as a new wave of tears threatened to spill.

"The pleasure has been mine. You are brilliant and capable of anything you set your mind to. Don't forget that," Conrad said, his voice slightly strained. "We'll miss you here. Keep in touch."

"Will do, sir."

2018

As she strode into the Oval Office, Elizabeth felt an undeniable sense of deja vu. Judging by the expression on Conrad's face, she guessed that he did too. They sat down opposite each other, each taking a glass and reminiscing on times past until neither had stories left to tell.

"You know, there's something I didn't get the chance to tell you all those years ago." Conrad leaned forward, resting elbows on his knees. "Resigning isn't the same as quitting. Quitting is something you do when you can't handle a job. Resigning is something you do when you've outgrown a job. It's letting go and living. It's moving onto bigger and better things. It's leading a country, not just serving it."

"Well, we're not there quite yet," Elizabeth tried for a joke, but there was too much self-doubt for it to be funny.

"Oh, but you will be," he assured her. "You will be because you, Elizabeth McCord, are _not_ a quitter."

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I'm not sure if this feels quite finished, but I didn't want to drag it out. Let me know what you think or if you have any other scenes you'd like to see extended!


	4. Chapter 4

Just a short thing to tie up a few loose ends at the end of the last episode. Sorry about the lukewarm ending, I just wanted to get it out.

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The sound of his parents fighting traveled all the way to Jason's room. He put his headphones on to block out the noise. As a kid, he always took his parent's relationship for granted. As he went through middle school and high school, more and more of friends' parents had gotten divorced.  
His older sister barged into his room.  
"Can I help you?" Jason asked, the irritation coming through in his voice.  
"No, but I can probably help you," Stevie said. She tossed him a spoon, revealing the pint of ice cream she had behind her back. He took her offering, but dug in half-heartedly.  
"Do you remember when Mom and Dad grounded me after Daisy found me drunk in a bar?"  
He snorted. "Yeah."  
"Do you know _why_ I was drunk in a bar?"  
"No."  
"I thought Dad was cheating on Mom. I saw him at a restaurant with some woman and I was a wreck. He wasn't, of course. I know that now. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I know how you feel. And you just gotta trust them. They wouldn't do that."  
Jason nodded, but wasn't reassured.  
"Let me know if you need anything," Stevie said and left.

* * *

Elizabeth sat in her office after the governor left until a buzz from her phone startled her out of thought.  
"I just talked to Jason, but he still seems upset. I'm going to bed," Stevie's text read. Elizabeth sent a quick reply then got up. A quick check at the dark kitchen told her that Henry had gone to their bedroom, probably brooding. They needed to have a serious discussion, but their son came first. She headed upstairs.  
"Jason?" Elizabeth hesitantly knocked on her son's door. "Can I come in?"  
There was a grunt that might have been a yes, so she entered. He was at his computer as she had expected, but instead lying face down on his bed with the lights off. She sat next to him, a hand on his back as she tried to figure out what to say that wouldn't cause an outburst.

"Jace, you know I would never cheat on your father." Another indistinguishable grunt. She suppressed a sigh. He used to be so easy to read. "Can you tell me what you're feeling?"  
"If you didn't have an affair, why were you fighting?"

She bit her lip. How could she explain this without making him more suspicious? Before she could say anything, though, he jumped in.

"Stevie told me she thought Dad was having an affair once. When she told you, did you believe it?"  
"For a second I did," she responded slowly, but honestly. "It's not because I thought he did or because I didn't trust him."  
"It's because those types of allegations prey on your worst fears." They both turned to see Henry at the door. He smiled apologetically at Elizabeth before continuing. "It's really difficult to prove that something didn't happen, so doubt begins to grow. Even though rationally you know that nothing happened, it still eats away at you. And it's hard to get rid of."  
"The only way to get through it is to reaffirm each other that your love is true and to keep your own thoughts in check," she added. Jason nodded like he got it, but it was clear his doubt wasn't going away after one conversation. They said their "good nights" and went off to their own bedroom.  
"Babe, I'm sorry—" Henry started.  
"Forgiven," Elizabeth said. She didn't want to talk about it anymore; she just wanted to put this all behind them. "I'll always be yours."

He stepped closer and place a protective kiss on her crown. "And I yours."

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As always, let me know what you think/what you'd like to see! I can't believe I posted twice this month, lol.


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